Changing Urban Governance in New Zealand: Public Participation and Democratic Legitimacy in Local Authority Planning and Decision-Making 1989–2014

Abstract

Enhancing democracy was a paradoxical aspect of the neo-liberal-inspired public sector reforms that occurred in the 1980s and 1990s in many Western liberal democracies. The so-called ‘New Zealand model’ of public management, which attracted international attention, formed the backdrop of significant reforms of local government and planning legislation which transformed urban governance in New Zealand. Environmental decision-making was devolved to regional and city/district councils, along with new requirements for public participation in both planning and local government legislation to foster accountability. At the time, these new public participation provisions received international acclaim. However, legislative, economic, social and technological change has exposed deficiencies in statutory public participation in local authority planning and decision-making. This article reviews developments over the past quarter century in participatory planning provisions and considers the implications for urban governance. Connections are highlighted between the changes in New Zealand and the broader shifts in public participation that have been observed internationally as a result of the impact of neo-liberalisation and further developments in public management (including post-new public management). The article concludes by discussing the challenges associated with fostering participatory planning and public participation in contemporary urban governance arrangements shaped by neo-liberal policies focused on austerity and efficiency.